1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to integrated circuit design. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to saving and restoring system memory management unit (MMU) translation contexts.
2. Background
One of the features driving performance of single-user computers is computer graphics. Supporting high performance computer graphics is not only significant in computer games and workstations, but is also significant across the personal computer market. Memory specifications for supporting high performance computer graphics may become a bottle neck to improved performance.
One technique for improving or even optimizing performance in graphic devices is the use of virtual and physical address spaces. A virtual address space allows applications to use as much memory as desired, without regard to the memory utilization of other applications. The application retrieves and stores instructions and data using virtual addresses, and the memory system retrieves and stores instructions and data in physical memory using physical addresses to improve, or even optimize performance. Accordingly, translation between virtual memory space addressing and physical memory space addressing is performed by the computing system. As a result, applications and data may be moved within memory and between different types of memory without having to recode applications.
Another technique for meeting the memory specifications of high performance computer graphics applications is the use of virtual machines. A virtual machine (VM) is a software implementation of a machine (i.e., a computer) that executes programs like a physical machine. Virtual machines may be based on specifications of a computer architecture and functions of a real world computer to provide a virtual environment, including virtual memory. As technology evolves, virtual memory (in respect to virtualization) will use memory over-commitment to manage the memory sharing between multiple virtual machines on one physical computer. For example, memory over-commitment may provide a virtual address space that is larger than the available physical address space.
Techniques such as virtual memory and virtual machines may not be supported by wireless mobile devices. As described herein, wireless mobile devices include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) units, portable data units such as personal data assistants, GPS enabled devices, navigation devices, set top boxes, music players, video players, entertainment units, fixed location data units such as meter reading equipment, or any other battery powered device that stores or retrieves data or computer instructions, or any combination thereof.